Double reel apparatus for electrostatically producing copies and matrices

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for electrostatically producing copies in the form of individual paper copies and/or matrices, comprising supply roles for providing copy paper, means for withdrawing and feeding the copy paper, a cutting device for cutting a predetermined length of copy paper, a device for electrostatically charging a sheet of copy paper prior to its being exposed a developing and fixing device for the latent image produced during exposure, wherein the apparatus has two different supply rolls, and depending on the preselected supply roll a different withdrawing device is operated, while the withdrawing device for the unselected supply roll causes the associated support to be retracted in order to prevent the cutting device from operating at the same time on the copy material from the two supply rolls.

United States Patent [191 Boschet DOUBLE-REEL APPARATUS FOR ELECTROSTATICALLY PRODUCING COPIES AND MATRICES Inventor: Vittorio Boschet, Milan, Italy [73] Assigneer Grafosol S.p.A., Milan, Italy [22] Filed: Apr. 16, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 351,195

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 4, l972 Italy 23898/72 [52] US. Cl. .L 355/13 [51] Int. Cl. ..G03b 19/04 [58] Field of Search 355/3, 7, 13, 29; 95/31 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,684,373 8/1972 Berge 355/29 111 3,820,892 June 28, 1974 Primary Examiner-John M. Horan Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Steinberg & Blake [57] ABSTRACT An apparatus for electrostatically producing copies in the form of individual paper copies and/or matrices, comprising supply roles for providing copy paper, means for withdrawing and feeding the copy paper, a cutting device for cutting a predetermined length of copy paper, a devicefor electrostatically charging a sheet of copy paper prior to its being exposed a developing and fixing device for the latent image produced during exposure, wherein the apparatus has two differentsupply rolls, and depending on the preselected supply roll a different withdrawing device is operated, while the withdrawing device for the unselected supply roll causes the associated support to be retracted in order to prevent the cutting device from operating at the same time on the copy material from the two supply rolls.

7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEnJunze m4 3. 820.892

SHEET 2 UF 2 This invention relates to an apparatus for electrostatically producing copies and matrices from an original.-

The electrostatic method for producing copies and- /or matrices from originals is well known and substantially consists of cutting from a reel a length of copy material, electrostatically charging this length of copy material, exposing and developing the latent image by supplying a pulverized material on the length of copy material, this pulverized material adhering to the latent image, and fixing the pulverized material adhering to the copy material.

Different types of copy material can be used depending on whether it is desired to produce simple copies and printing matrices to be used for a limited amount of printed copies, or rather printing matrices intended to produce a relatively substantial amount of printed copies. In general all such copy material will hereinafter be referred to as copy paper. In conventional apparatus it is required to replace the supply rolls when desiring to pass from one to another type of copy paper,

whereas in the apparatus according to the invention, it is only required to preselect the type of copy paper as desired. v

According to the invention, an apparatus is essentially characterized in that, depending on the preselected type of copy paper, a different withdrawing device is operated, while the unselected withdrawing device causes a slight retraction of the unselected supply roll to prevent the cutting device from simultaneously. operating on the two copy paper.

According to a significant aspect of the invention, the I selection of the copy paper for producing matrices intended to produce a relatively higher amount of printed copies, utilizes a different path for the copy material after the image is fixed thereon, which permits the copy paper to pass through a fixing liquidin'a tray.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed .description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given by mere way of notlimiting example and as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic elevation sectional view of the apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view showing the mechanism for selecting the type of copy paper; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the powder fixing or baking cylinder.

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes the glass plate having thereon the original to be reproduced, whichis illuminated by light sources, not

shown. A lens 2 permits the image of the original'to be transferred to a mirror '3 reflecting it on .a length of copy paper which during exposure is held stationary at a proper position for exposure.

Two supply reels B1, B2 are removably supported in the machine frame.

Supply roll Bl provides a processed copy paper used A withdrawing feeding device 4, 5 is respectively associated with each of the reels B1, B2, said devices. comprising a pair of cylinders, of which one is idle and.

the other is driven. As conventional, the idle cylinder is resiliently pressed against the cooperating driven cylinder. The cylinders for the device 4 are designated by numerals 6 and 7, and the cylinders for the device 5 are designated by numerals 8 and 9. The operating mechanism for the driven cylinders 7, 8 is schematically shown in H6. 2 and is characterizedby alternately operating the selected device 4 or 5, and-at the beginning of such operation causing a backward movement for the unselected device 4 or 5 thereby moving the selected copy paper to the exposing position.

This backward movement is for avoidingthe drawbacks which would result if the two combined copy paper from supply rolls B1 and B2'would simultaneously be present at the cutting device 10.

The control mechanism is constructed and operates as follows (see FIG. 2):

A gear wheel 12 is keyed on a rotating drive shaft 11,

this gear whee l always meshing with two gear wheels '13, 14 idly carried by levers l5, l6 pivoted on said shaft or axis 11. More particularly, lever 15 has two arms 17 and 18. The gear wheel 13 is carried on the end of arm 17, while a rod 19 is linked tothe end of arm 18 and can be moved in the direction of arrow F1 by an electromagnet X against a return spring 20. At an intermediate location of arm 18 a pin 21 is provided which enters an elongated hole of a ratchet 23, the pawl 24 of which can set betweenthe teeth of a gear wheel 25 which is secured to the axis of cylinder 7. A spring 26 acts to retain the pawl 24 between the teeth of thegear In order to feed a carrier length withdrawn from the supply roll Bil, the electromagnet Y is energized in a known manner. As a result, the gear wheel 14 meshes with the gear wheel 25, so that the cylinder 7 is rotated and hence the copy paper is withdrawn from the supply roll B1.

However, upon the pivotal rotation of lever 16, the gear wheel .33, is rotated in a reverse direction by means of ratchet 33 and hence the cylinder 8 rotates in direction reverse to that corresponding to the withdrawal of copy material from supply roll B2, whereby a slight retraction of the copy paper from supply roll B2 is provided and therefore this copy paper moves away from the cutting device 10 to such extent that the latter, when operating, will out only the copy paper from the supply roll Bl. As is apparent, the contrary will the cutting device and the device 36 for electrostatically charging the copy paper, and which is known per se. The copy paper is gripped by the driven cylinders 35 and brought against the descending run of the feeding belts 102 (with the latter moving). The copy paper is adheringly retained to the belts 102 by means of a sucking plate 37 which is connected to a vacuum supply through a tube 38 When the lower end of the copy paper contacts a microswitch 110, the cutting device -is operated. Said cutting device conventionally comprises a stationary blade and a rotating blade which is rotated at that moment and stopped after one revolution. The lights illuminating the original are turned on and the feeding devices 35 and 102 are stopped holding the carrier length stationary for the exposuretime. After completion of exposure, the belts 102 and pairs of rollers 34 and 35 are again operated, and said length is fed again after turning off of the lights.

The exposed length of copy paper contacts a microswitch 104 operating the baking cylinder 50. The length of copy paper is brought into contact with a developer roller 39 whithdrawing from a galvanizing tray 40 the usual toner incorporating iron powder. Said roller 39 is of well known construction, whereby a detailed description thereof is herein deemed unnecessary. Above the roller 39 there is arranged a socalled cleaning blade, per se known and designated at 41, comprising a wire kept at a positive potential, accomplishing the function of removing any excess of toner. Since the roller 39 continuously rotate, there may arise the drawback that, when the length of copy paper is not at this position, some powder is deposited on the cleaning blade 41, reducing and/or cancelling the efficiency thereof. To avoid this, a movable screen 42 is provided, interposing between the roller 39 and cleaning blade 41 when the carrier is not therebetween. This screen 42 is controlled by a cam 50A carried on a roller 50, the cam position and moves away from this position after a determined angle of rotation.

Following the latent image development at the devices 39, 40 and 41, the length of copy paper adheres to the cylinder 50. The cylinder 50 has a cylindrical wire mesh wall which is broken away for a short length 110. Between the cylinder sides adjacent the control or check, a rod 111 is rotably carried and has a set of blades or vanes 112 for of clamping the front end of the length of copy paper, so that said length will adhere for a short length to the cylinder contour. A bell crank 112 is keyed to said rod 111. A traction spring 113 is connected to one of the lever arms and-secured to one side of the cylinder, while on the other arm a roller 114 is arranged and designed to cooperate with a stationary cam 115 for of opening and closing the blades or vanes 112. 1

Thus, the length of copy paper will be inserted below the blades or vanes 112, the latter will close and the length will be brought in front of infrared lamps 51 where the fixing of the developing powder is effected. When the leading edge of the length reaches approximately the location A, the cam 115 controls the blade or vane opening, whereby the length is released, detached from the contour of cylinder 50 by-means of a wedge 116 and gripped by the feeding cylinders 35. Should the length of copy paper come from supply roll B1, it would follow the path defined by the arrow K and containing a fixing liquid prior to being discharged through the last pair of rollers 35. At one end the deflecting screen 60 is hinged and can take such positions as those shown by the full or the broken lines by means of an electromagnet 62, which will be energized when the apparatus according to the invention is preset to provide copies or matrices for low production rates where the copy paper from supply roll Bl will pass through path K, while being de-energized to provide matrices (reel B2) for compartively higher production rates where the copy from supply roll B2 will pass through the path 2.

The path for the carrier length is specified by lines Z and M and defined by stationary or movable guide'surfaces P.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for electrostatically producing copies from an original, a plurality of supply rolls respectively carrying different copy papers, a corresponding plurality of selectively operable withdrawing means respectively engaging the copy papers of said rolls for withdrawing a selected copy paper from one of said supply rolls and feeding it along a predetermined path, cutting means positioned along said path for cutting a predetermined length of said selected copy pa per, means positioned further along said path for electrostatically charging said length of copy paper, exposure means positioned still further along said path for forming a latent image of the original on said length of copy paper, developing and fixing means positioned be withdrawn by the user after the last pair of rollers 35. Instead, should the length come from supply roll B2 and serve as a matrix for printed reproduction of a relatively high amount of copies, due to a deflecting screen 60, the length of copy paper is immersed in a tray 61 along said path subsequent to said exposure means for developing and fixing the latent image formed on said length of copy paper, control means selected by the operator for setting the selected withdrawing means into operation, and transmission means connected between each withdrawing means for acting in response to forward feeding operation of a selected withdrawing means to operate the non-selected withdrawing means in a reverse feeding direction to an extent sufficient to retract non-selected copy paper beyond the range of operation of said cutting means to prevent the latter from cutting more than one of the copy papers.

2. The combination of claim 1 and further corn rising a means for direction different copy papers rom said path respectively in a plurality of dirrerent directions respectively along different path portions, and a processing means positioned along at least one of said different path portions for further processing the copy paper with travels there along. I

3. The combination of claim 2 and wherein said plurality of different path portions rejoin to form a common discharge path.

4. The combination of claim 2 and wherein said different path portions are defined by a plurality of guide means for guiding the cut length of copy paper.

5. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said developing means comprises a galvanizing tray for retaining toner, a cleaning device positioned with respect to said galvanizing tray, and a movable screen interposed between said cleaning device and said tray.

6. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said control means comprises a single drive means palced by said control means in operative connection with the selected withdrawing means, and said transmission means including a ratchet gear menas for operation the nonselected withdrawing means in the reverse-feeding direction.

7. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said fixing means further comprises baking cylinder means positioned along said path and including means for gripping and releasing the leading edge of the cut length of copy paper, and cam means for controlling the operation of said gripping and releasing means. 

1. In an apparatus for electrostatically producing copies from an original, a plurality of supply rolls respectively carrying different copy papers, a corresponding plurality of selectively operable withdrawing means respectively engaging the copy papers of said rolls for withdrawing a selected copy paper from one of said supply rolls and feeding it along a predetermined path, cutting means positioned along said path for cutting a predetermined length of said selected copy paper, means positioned further along said path for electrostatically charging said length of copy paper, exposure means positioned still further along said path for forming a latent image of the original on said length of copy paper, developing and fixing means positioned along said path subsequent to said exposure means for developing and fixing the latent image formed on said length of copy paper, control means selected by the operator for setting the selected withdrawing means into operation, and transmission means connected between each withdrawing means for acting in response to forward feeding operation of a selected withdrawing means to operate the non-selected withdrawing means in a reverse feeding direction to an extent sufficient to retract non-selected copy paper beyond the range of operation of said cutting means to prevent the latter from cutting more than one of the copy papers.
 2. The combination of claim 1 and further comprising a means for direction different copy papers from said path respectively in a plurality of dirrerent directions respectively along different path portions, and a processing means positioned along at least one of said different path portions for further processing the copy paper with travels there along.
 3. The combination of claim 2 and wherein said plurality of different path portions rejoin to form a common discharge path.
 4. The combination of claim 2 and wherein said different path portions are defined by a plurality of guide means for guiding the cut length of copy paper.
 5. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said developing means comprises a galvanizing tray for retaining toner, a cleaning device positioned with respect to said galvanizing tray, and a movable screen interposed between said cleaning device and said tray.
 6. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said control means comprises a single drive means palced by said control means in operative connection with the selected withdrawing means, and said transmission means including a ratchet gear menas for operation the non-selected withdrawing means in the reverse-feeding direction.
 7. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said fixing means further comprises baking cylinder means positioned along said path and including means for gripping and releasing the leading edge of the cut length of copy paper, and cam means for controlling the operation of said gripping and releasing means. 